Mechanical design, modeling and analysis of a miniature throw-able robot with transformation capacity

Author(s):  
Yuan Qu ◽  
Rong Liu ◽  
Bowen Li
Author(s):  
T. A. Mashburn ◽  
D. C. Anderson

Abstract This paper investigates a computer environment approach for the exploration of design behavior in the mechanical design process. Generic component types and behavior modelers are developed based on the needs of mechanical designers and are represented in a computer environment. Built-in component types and physical behaviors are also developed. Extension can then occur as needed during design refinement. The resulting system can support exploration and knowledge refinement during design.


Author(s):  
Yinghui Liu ◽  
Brian Weinberg ◽  
Constantinos Mavroidis

Deep space drilling is necessary for appropriate chemical and biological sampling for subsurface exploration. The Robotic Planetary Drilling System (RPDS), which is currently being developed by our team, is designed to be a compact self-propelled, steerable electromechanical drilling system that can penetrate into large depths in planetary bodies. In this paper we present the detailed innovative mechanical design of the RPDS. Its main components are: a) the drill bit/cuttings bucket, b) the rotary propulsion unit including novel three 3-degree of freedom (DOF) propulsion actuators, c) the power/control module, d) the non-rotating steering unit including three 1-DOF steering actuators and e) the communication module. Three 3-DOF propulsion actuators uniformly distributed around the rotary propulsion unit impart rotating, linear motion to the drilling bit, while another three 1-DOF steering actuators provide the steering force for automatic directional control. The RPDS is propelled in the manner of a turning screw, which offers simpler kinematics structure, higher efficiency and thus, potential for miniaturization and deep drilling. The mathematical modeling and analysis of the RPDS that were conducted to evaluate its performance are also being presented in this paper.


2012 ◽  
Vol 516-517 ◽  
pp. 673-677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shun Xu ◽  
Yan Zhang

Through three-dimensional mechanical design software Pro/E to build a spur gear solid model, using ANSYS software for the gear mesh, as well as the constraints imposed by the most unfavorable load to determine the location of the discussion, in order to get accurate finite element analysis model. By analyzing, this shows that the effectiveness of the application of ANSYS in gear calculation.


2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 303-313
Author(s):  
Duong Xuan Bien ◽  
Chu Anh My ◽  
Phan Bui Khoi

Dynamic modeling and analysis of flexible manipulators play an essential role in optimizing mechanical design parameters and control law of real robot systems. In this paper, a nonlinear dynamic model of a manipulator is formulated based on the Finite Element Method. To analyze the dynamic behavior effectively, a numerical simulation scheme is proposed by taking full advantages of MATLAB and SIMULINK toolboxes. In this manner, the effect of varying payload and link length ratio of the manipulator to its elastic displacement is dynamically taken into account. The simulation results show that the payload and length link ratio have significant influences on the elastic displacements of the system. In particular, a proper spectrum of the link length ratio, in which the flexural displacement of the end point of the manipulator is smallest, is demonstrated. To this end, the proposed methodology could be used further to select optimal geometric parameters for the links of new robot designs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (12) ◽  
pp. 24-33
Author(s):  
Eric Gratton ◽  
Mbadiwe Benyeogor ◽  
Kosisochukwu Nnoli ◽  
Oladayo Olakanmi ◽  
Liam Wolf ◽  
...  

For a robot to navigate in terrains of rough and uneven topographies, its drives and controllers must generate and control large mechanical power with great precision. This paper is aimed at developing an autonomous robot with active-suspensions in form of a hybrid quadrupedal-wheel drive mechanism. This involves a computational approach to optimizing the development cost without compromising the system’s performance. Using the Solidworks CAD tool, auxiliary components were designed and integrated with the bed structure to form an actively suspended robot drive mechanism. Also, using the S-Math Computing tool, the robot’s suspension system was optimized, employing a four-bar mechanism. To enhance the compatibility of this design with the intended controller, some mathematical equations and numerical validations were formulated and solved. These included the modeling of tip-over stability and skid steering, the trendline equations for computing the angular positions of the suspension servomotors, and the computation of R2– values for determining the accuracy of these trendline equations. Using finite element analysis (FEA), we simulated the structural integrity of key sub-components of the final structure. The results show that our mechanical design is appropriate for developing an actively suspended robot that can efficiently navigate in different terrestrial sites and topographies.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 (1) ◽  
pp. 001105-001115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Cole ◽  
B. Passmore ◽  
B. Whitaker ◽  
A. Barkley ◽  
T. McNutt ◽  
...  

The packaging design and development of an on-board bi-directional charger for the battery system of the next generation Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) will be presented in this paper. The charger implements a multichip power module (MCPM) packaging strategy. The Silicon Carbide (SiC) MCPM charger is capable of operating to temperatures in excess of 200°C and at switching frequencies in excess of 500 kHz, significantly reducing the overall size and weight of the system in comparison with Toyota's present silicon-based Prius charger. The present actively cooled Si charger is capable of delivering a peak power of 1kW at less than 90 percent efficiency, is limited to less than 50 kHz switching, and measures greater than 6.3 liters with a mass of 6.6 kg, resulting in a power density of 150 W/kg. The passively cooled SiC MCPM charger presented herein was designed to deliver a peak power of 5 kW at greater than 96% efficiency, while measuring less than 0.9 liters with a mass of 1 kg, resulting in a power density greater than 5 kW/kg. Thus, the novel SiC MCPM charger represents an increase in power density of more than 30×, a very significant power density achievement in size and weight for sensitive mobile applications such as PHEVs. This paper will discuss the overall mechanical design of the SiC MCPM charger, the finite-element modeling and analysis of thermal and stress considerations, characterization and parasitic analysis of the MCPM, and the development of high temperature solutions for SiC devices.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 (HiTEN) ◽  
pp. 000208-000213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Cole ◽  
B. McGee ◽  
J. Stabach ◽  
C. B. O'Neal ◽  
B. Passmore

In this work, a compact 600 – 1700 V high current power package housing either silicon carbide (SiC) or gallium nitride (GaN) power die was designed and developed. Several notable configurations of the package include diode half-bridges, co-packed MOSFET-diode pairs, and cascode configured GaN devices. In order to avoid a significant redesign effort for each new application or improvement in device technology, a device-neutral design strategy enables the use of a variety of die types from any manufacturer depending on the end-use application's requirements. The basic SOT-227 is a widely used package type found in everything from electronic welders and power supplies to motor controls and inverters. This module is a variant of that style of package which also addresses some issues that a standard SOT-227 package has when used in higher voltage applications; it has increased creepage and clearance distances which meet IPC, UL, and IEC standards up to 1700 volts while retaining an isolated substrate. It also has low parasitic values in comparison to the SOT-227. One of the key elements of this design is the removal of the baseplate. This allows for far lower weight, volume, and cost as well as reduced manufacturing complexity. The wide bandgap power package is composed of high temperature capable materials, which allow for the high junction temperatures inherent in these high power density devices. This paves the way for the design of a small, low-profile package with low parasitic inductances and a small junction-to-case thermal resistance. This paper will discuss the mechanical design of the power package as well as the three-dimensional finite-element modeling and analysis of the thermal, electrical, and mechanical characteristics. In addition, the electrical characteristics as a function of temperature of the power module up to 225 °C will be presented.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (01) ◽  
pp. 1550006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenzhen Yang ◽  
Xinli Wu ◽  
Hua Zhang

The workspace is a fundamental feature for a dexterous hand to grasping plan, motion control, and mechanical design. Although the graphic, numerical, or analytical methods are valid to generate the workspace of dexterous hands, but there exist several defects for these methods to describe the workspace characteristics, such as forms, boundaries, volumes, and intersection workspaces. We propose a combined modeling approach to visualize and analyze the workspace of YWZ dexterous hand, which has five fingers, 20 degrees of freedom (Dofs). The proposed approach is also fit for similar dexterous hands to generate their precise workspaces. After a brief mechanism introduction of YWZ dexterous hand, a displacement equation of its index finger is deduced to calculate the fingertip positions in three-dimension (3D) Euclidean space. Then, a two-dimension (2D) boundary figure enclosing the flexion–extension motion field of the finger is drawn by the displacement equation. Taking this boundary figure as a sketch in a CAD modeling environment, we further model a vivid 3D finger workspace, which is relative with the abduction–adduction motion of the finger. Besides, we generate the whole workspace of YWZ dexterous hand and analyze its volumes and intersection workspaces. The kinematic simulations and physical prototype experimentations are carried out to validate this approach can construct perfect workspace of dexterous hands. Compared with the Monte Carlo method, the form and boundary of the 3D finger workspace generated by our proposed approach have more accurate, integrated, vivid, and intuitional.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 000751-000756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Cole ◽  
J. Stabach ◽  
G. Falling ◽  
P. Killeen ◽  
T. McNutt ◽  
...  

In this work, the packaging design and development of a high voltage (> 15 kV), high current (120 A) silicon carbide (SiC) multi-chip power module (MCPM) will be presented. The module implements a MCPM packaging strategy which itself uses subassemblies to reduce manufacturing costs through reworkability. The use of solderless internal connections aids in reducing cost both by simplifying the assembly process as well as enabling a high level of flexibility in the manufacturing process in order to drive down costs by increasing yield. A wire bondless flip-chip die interconnection scheme has been developed in parallel with a more traditional wire bonded method. Both presented approaches utilize a common set of parts with minimal differences due to the divergent portions of each interconnection scheme. Device neutrality in this design ensures that a variety of die types from any manufacturer may be housed in a number of arrangements depending on the requirements of the end-use application without requiring significant redesign effort for each new application or improvement in device technology. The SiC MCPM is constructed using high temperature capable materials, enabling operation at high junction temperatures. This leads to the ability to design a small, low profile module with low parasitic inductances and a small junction to case thermal resistance. A low module thermal resistance makes it possible to significantly reduce the size and complexity of the cooling systems, ultimately, reducing the size of the system. Thus, this novel high voltage SiC MCPM represents a significant step forward in high voltage switching applications. This paper discusses the overall mechanical design of the SiC high voltage MCPM; the three-dimensional finite-element modeling and analysis of the thermal and electrical characteristics of the high voltage power module are also presented.


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